In anticipation of Monday’s Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, PHT is taking an in-depth look at each of the four main entrants.

Whether it was before or during the dead-puck era of the 1990s and 2000s, Pavel Bure always proved why he was a Hall of Fame talent. The only thing that kept him from being an all-time career goal scoring leader were injuries.

Bure played 13 seasons in the NHL. Of those, he had three that went uninterrupted by injury (92-93, 97-98, and 2000-01). In those years he scored 60, 51, and 59 goals, the latter of which led the league.

In the Canucks’ Stanley Cup finals year in 93-94, Bure missed just six games but led the league in goals with 60. In 1999-2000 with Florida, he missed eight games and scored a league-leading 58, 14 of which were game-winners (also a league-leading stat). Even in spite of the injuries, he still scored 437 goals.

Did you need more of a reminder of how good he was? Good, because YouTube is teeming over with Top Ten reels of his goals and other goodies, but two in particular show off his greatness.

That highlight has probably been seen a thousand times and never gets old… Unless you’re a Bruins fan bummed out at seen Ray Bourque getting spun around.

Speaking of often-seen highlights, Flames fans might want to just skip this part entirely. Game 7 in the 1994 playoffs saw Bure deliver one of the most clutch goals in Canucks history with his triple-overtime game-winner.

Thanks for posting this. What a trip. Used to play it waaaayyyy too much. As I’m watching it, I’m remembering what moves to make and you make them. I used to pass more just for fun. And knocking the guys down after the goal. Heh.

Over the previous years there has been talk about Bure not deserving to be in the HoF. Mostly people were complaining that his body of work was too short and that should preclude him from getting in.

When the discussion was first opened up about who would get the nod this year — before the selections were announced — I looks up a few interesting numbers. For a base comparison I used another famous Hall of Famer that played an injury shortened career; Cam Neely.

Before anyone takes this the wrong way, I love watching old clips of Neely, so don’t argue as if I’m saying he should not be in the HoF. I’m not saying that at all.

Here are the numbers:
Neely: 13 seasons (7 good years of 65+ games)
Bure: 13 seasons (6 good years of 65+ games)
Both: never won a championship (as a player)
Neely: 5 all star selections
Bure: 6 all star selections
Neely: better playoff success (points)
Bure: better international success (medals)
Neely: three 50 goal seasons (including one 50 in 44 games)
Bure: three 50 goal seasons plus two 60 goal seasons
Neely: .544 goals per game
Bure: .623 goals per game
Neely: More games played, less points
Bure: Less games played, more points
Neely: electrifying power forward and scorer
Bure: electrifying skater and goal scorer
Neely: Played in high-scoring 80s and clutch and grab 90s (83-96)
Bure: Played in clutch and grab 90s-00s (91-03)

Based on this simple comparison, it’s hard to take seriously any arguments that Bure should have been excluded.

danphipps01 - Nov 12, 2012 at 4:28 PM

This is pretty much why I think Shanahan deserved Sundin’s spot in last year’s group of inductees. Sundin could’ve been bumped a year down the line for a guy with half again as many goals and points, multiple Cups and who might have been the best power forward ever.